Railway.



H. PRITCHARD.

RAILWAY.

APPLlcATIoN FILED mns 4.1914.

Fntcnted Jam. 30, 1917'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET INVENTQR; WWA/.A xm/1D,

H. PRITCHARD.

RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, m4.

L21 ,II Patented Jan. so, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. WQ Q 9% E m I2 @Www WITNESSES:

HERBERT PRITCI-IARD, OF DOWNINGTOWN', PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY.

Application led J' une 4:, 1911i.

To all edwin it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT PRrroHARD, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Downingtown, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railways, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates particularly to railjoints and means for connecting them with ties.

As hereinafter described, my invention includes a rail having each end region recessed transversely one-half its thickness and having its web thickened, throughout its recessed portion and beyond each end thereof, by a reinforcing member between the rail head and base flange, in unitary relation therewith, including an extension beyond the head of the rail at the end thereof, arranged to fit between the head and base flange of a similar rail. Said rail has a series of bolt holes extending transversely through its web and reinforcing members; each elongated in the direction of the rail length to receive bolts of such shape that they cannot be turned therein; said bolts having heads all bearing upon the `reinforcing member of one of such rails, and having screw threaded ends projecting through the reinforcing member of another such rail, complementary thereto; said complementary rails being clamped together by nuts on said bolts, and the latter being prevented from rotating by a nut lock bar, coextensive with one of said reinforcing members and having sockets respectively fitted to said nuts; some of said bolts being long enough to each receive a washer and a jam nut, exterior to said bar, to retain the latter in locking position.

As hereinafter described, I employ in cooperative relation with said complementary rails and a similar single rail extending parallel therewith to form a railway track, a gage tie plate extending beneath the center of the rail-joint, having gage abutments, respectively adjacent the ends of said plate, extending parallel with said rails and respectively bearing against the outer base flanges thereof. Said plate has a group of four. spike holes in the end thereof beneath the middle of said rail-joint registering with notches in the complementary rail base flanges, and a group of three spike holes in each end of said plate exterior to the respective rail base anges, and spikes extending Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 30, i917. serial No. 842,813.

thro-ugh said holes, not only maintaining the parallel rails in proper gaged relation but 'preventing their longitudinal displacement with respect to the ties. The tie plates are provided with two groups of spike holes respectively adapted to register with notches in the rail base flanges and exterior to said flanges, so that the same pattern of tie plate may be used in connection with rails which are notched and which are unnotched.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawings; Figure I is a side elevation of a pair of complementary rails forming a rail-joint in accordance with my invention. Fig. II is a plan view of the railjoint shown in Fig. I. Fig. III is a. plan sectional view of said joint taken on the center lines of the bolts shown in Fig. I. :Fig IV is a side elevation of the rail end at the left hand side of Fig. I. Fig. V is a side elevation of'the nut lock bar shown in Fig. I. Fig. VI is a transverse sectional view of a railway track including the complementary rails shown in Figs. I to III inclusive, connected in cooperative relation with a single similar rail, by said gage plate. Fig. VII is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. VI. Fig. VIII is a plan view of a short tie plate of the same pattern as the right hand end of the gage tie plate shown inFigs. I, II, III, VI and VII.

Referring to said figures; it is to be understood that each rail l has each end region recessed transversely one-half its thickness for twice the length of the distance between the centers of adjoining ties 2 and has its web thickened, throughout its recessed portions and beyond each end thereof, by a reinforcing member 3 on the other side of said rail between the rail head 4 and base flange 5, in unitary-relation therewith, including an extension 6 beyond the head of the rail at the end thereof, arranged to fit between the head and base flange of a similar rail. Each of said rails 1 has a series of sevenl bolt holes 8 extending transversely through its web at each of its reinforcing members 3, as shown in Fig. IV; each of said holes being elongated in the direction of the length of the rail. Each of said rails has a spike notch l0 in its base flange adjacent its reinforcing member at the end of the latter, as best shown in Fig. IV, and two pairs of spike notches 11 and 12 in said flange in such spaced relation that each pair registers with a tie.

A pair of complementary 'rails' 1, con structed as above described, are clamped t0- gether by a series of bolts 9 and 13, the for? mer being at the ends of the series and longer than the bolts 13, as best shown 1n Fig. Hl. Said bolts have heads all bearing upon the reinforcing member 3 of one of said rails, and have screw threaded ends projecting through the reinforcing member 3 of the other of said rails and the nuts 14C on all of said bolts clamp said rails together. Said nuts are prevented from rotating by the nut lock bar 16, best shown in Fig. V, which is held in locking position by the washers 17 and nuts 18 on said bolts 9 and has seven sockets 19 respectively fitted to said nuts 14e, as shown in Fig. III.

The tie 2 extending under the middle of the rail-joint above described, as shown in Figs. I, II and IH, has the gage tie plate 2O on it extending under said complementary rails at said joint and under the opposite single rail on said ties, extending parallel with said complementary rails, forming therewith a railway track, as shown in Figs. VI and VII. Said gage tie plate 2O has gage abutments 21 and 23 respectively adjacent the opposite ends thereof, extending parallel with said rails and respectively bearing against the outer base flanges thereof, as best shown in Fig. VI. Said gage plate has a group of four spike holes 24 in its end beneath the middle of said rail-joint, registering with said notches 11 in the base flanges of said complementary rails 1, and said plate 20 also has a `group of three spike holes 26 at each end, exterior to the respective rail base flanges, one of said holes of each group of three extending through the middle of the length yof said gage abutment at that end of said plate 20, and the other two of said group of three holes being'at the inner edge of the rail, as best shown in Fig. VII. The spikes 28, extending through said gage plate holes, hold said rails inl ga-ged relation on said tie 2 and prevent longitudinal displacement of said vrails with respect to thev ties, by engagement in said notches of the rails. Short tie plates 30 are provided under said complementary rails on each' of the ties 2 adjoining the middle vtie aforesaid, at the joint ends of said rails 1, each having a gage abutment 31, and a group of four spike holes 32 registering with the notches in said rails, and a group of three spike Vholes 34 exterior to the respective rail base flanges; said seven spike holes on said short tie plates 30 being arranged in the same order as the sevenholes in the joint end of said vgage tie plate 20. (See Figs. VTI "and VIH.) As shown in Figs'. Hfand III. said short tie plates 30 are secured'uponsaidftis adjoining therniddleltie, by groupsfof-frir spikes extending in the notches in the base flanges of the complementary rails. Said short tie plates 30 are secured to the other ties by groups of three spikes extending in thev holes 34 exterior to the base flanges of said rails, as shown at the ends of Figs. Il and III; so that the same pattern of tic plate is adapted for connection with the rails by spikes extending through the notches in the base flanges of the rails, or by spikes exterior to said {ian-ges as shown in said figures.

I do not desire to limit myself to the pre cise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. The combination with a pair of rails in complementary relation, each having its end region recessed transversely one-half its thickness for twice the length of the distance between the centers of adjoining ties, and having its web thickened, throughout its recessed portion and beyond each end thereof, by a reinforcing member on the outer side of said rail between the rail head and base flange, in unitary relation therewith, including an extension beyond the head of the rail at the end thereof, arranged to fit between the head and base flange of the other rail; each of said rails having a, series of seven bolt holes extending transversely through its web and reinforcing member, each elongated in the direction of the rail length; each rail having a spike notch in its flange adjacent its reinforcing lnelnber at the end of the latter', and two pairs of spike notches'in said flange in such spaced relation that each pair registers with a tie; of a series of seven bolts having Unthreaded portions fitting through the holes in said complementary rails, of such shape that they cannot be turned therein; said bolts having heads'all bearing upon the reinforcing membejro-f one of said rails, and having screw threaded ends projecting through the rein* forcing member of the other of said rails; theen'db'olts of said series being longer than `the!other'bolts; nuts on all of said bolts 'clamping said rails together; a tie under said rails at the middle of said joint; two ties adjoining said middle tie under said rails in such spaced relation that the ends of the respective rails terminate at the middle of said ties, though the extensions of the reinforcing members extend beyond the f same;L other ties beneath said rails, in spaced relation with said adjoining ties; and a single rail on said ties, parallel with said complementary rails, and forming therewith a 'railway track.A Y

il-2; Thecombinatin with a. pair of rails e'omp'lenientary relation, each having its end region recessed transversely, one-halfl of' its thickness, and having its web thickened, throughout its recessed portion and beyond each end thereof, by a reinforcing member on the outer side of the rail between the rail head and base Harige, in uni-V tary relation therewith,,including an extension beyond the head of the rail at the end thereof, arranged to fit, as a Wedge, and bear upon both the head and base flange of the other rail; each of said rails having a series of bolt holes extending transversely through its web and reinforcing member, each elongated in the direction of the rail length; each rail having a spike notch in its iiange adjacent its reinforcing member at the end of the latter, and two pairs of spike notches in said flange in such spaced relation that each pair registers With a tie; of a series of bolts having unthreaded portions fitting through the holes in said complementary rails, of such shape that they cannot be Genies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each,

turned therein; said bolts having heads all bearing upon the reinforcing member of one of said rails, and having screw threaded ends projecting through the reinforcing member of the other of said rails; the end bolts of said series being longer than the other bolts; nuts on all of said bolts clamping said rails together; a tie under said rails at the middle of said joint; two ties adjoining said middle tie under said rails in such spaced relation that the ends of the respective rails terminate at the middle of said ties, though the extensions of the reinforcing members extend beyond the same.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Downingtouin, in the State of Pennsylvania, this first day of June,

HERBERT PRITCHARD. lVitnesses J. HUNTER VVILLs, J. lV. STONE.

by addressing the Commissioner es? Patente,

Washington, D. C, 

